Large contemporary back patio in London with tiled flooring and no cover.

Freestanding outdoor bath at a stunning farmhouse at an interior styling project in North Cornwall
Photo of a large rural back patio in Cornwall with concrete paving and no cover.

Design ideas for a contemporary back patio in London with gravel and no cover.

Designed as a series of connected spaces, the layout moves from dining and cooking to a more intimate seating area, anchored by a curved bench and firepit. Floating steps have become a recurring element in our work — here they guide movement between levels while keeping the space open and uninterrupted. The curved bench softens the geometry, blending into the steps to create a transition that feels quiet and considered. Lighting is integrated throughout, allowing the garden to shift naturally into evening use. A space designed to be used as much at night as during the day.

In this design we sought to create a quirky yet stylish family space suitable for a variety of uses. The area directly adjoining the house was paved with Indian sandstone in a random lay pattern featuring a large paved circle slightly to the right of the main double patio doors. Metre wide curved paths lead around either side of an oval shaped lawn in the centre of the space. The left hand path leads to a second, smaller, paved circle in the left hand corner of the space, while the right path terminate in a small area of paving directly adjoining the existing shed in the to right corner of the space. All paving and lawn is edged with attractive granite sett bricks. The paved circle outside the back door features a semi-circular fixed bench approximately 3m long, constructed from rendered blocks and capped with and Indian sandstone seat. The bench is backed by a tall rendered block raised bed, which acts as a backrest to the bench seat. Circular rendered planters planted with a large box ball frame the bench at either end, to give this seating area a sense of seclusion. Large swirling and scrolling white rendered block walls provide an arresting focal point to the garden. Running down each side of the space, these walls undulate and taper in height, reaching a maximum of 1.8m in parts then dipping to almost ground level while curving around the space. At their highest points, the walls act as a frame to the circular paving to the left, and as a screen to the shed in the right hand corner. The planting scheme incorporates native English And New Zealand plants in hot and spicy colours. Finally, a simple lighting scheme gives gentle illumination to the garden. Flush stainless steel ground lights set into the riser of the arced fixed bench provide a wash of gentle light to the paved circle. Low voltage lighting placed throughout the beds highlight individual plant specimens while providing ambient background illumination. To complete the scheme, a series of in-ground walk-over lights installed in the curved pathways guide the user up either side of the space.

This is an example of a contemporary back patio in London with tiled flooring and no cover.

Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say. And what a dream; this is the acme of a Surrey suburban townhouse garden. The team behind the teamwork of this masterpiece in Oxshott, Surrey, are Raine Garden Design Ltd, Bushy Business Ltd, Hampshire Garden Lighting, and Forest Eyes Photography. Everywhere you look, some new artful detail demonstrating their collective expertise hits you. The beautiful and tasteful selection of materials. The very mature, regimented pleached beech hedge. The harmoniousness of the zoning; tidy yet so varied and interesting. The ancient olive, dating back to the reign of Victoria. The warmth and depth afforded by the layered lighting. The seamless extension of the Home from inside to out; because in this dream, the garden is Home as much as the house is.

Medium sized contemporary back patio in London with natural stone paving.

This Courtyard was transformed from being an Astro Turf box to a useable, versatile Outdoor Room!
Small contemporary back patio in London with a bbq area, tiled flooring and a pergola.

Custom-made outdoor kitchen, incorporating BBQ, fridge, Pizza oven, sink and storage space. Pergola creating a light filled covered dining space Travertine paving complimenting the contemporary colour palette

Une grande pergola sur mesure : alliance de l'aluminium thermolaqué et des lames de bois red cedar. Eclairage intégré. Une véritable pièce à vivre supplémentaire...parfaite pour les belles journées d'été ! Crédits : Kina Photo

Overview Whole house refurbishment, space planning and daylight exercise. The Brief To reorganise the internal arrangement throughout the client’s new home, create a large, open plan kitchen and living space off the garden while proposing a unique relationship to the garden which is at the lower level. Our Solution Working with a brilliant, forward-thinking client who knows what they like is always a real pleasure. This project enhances the original features of the house while adding a warm, simple timber cube to the rear. The timber is now silver grey in colour and ageing gracefully, the glass is neat and simple with our signature garden oriel window the main feature. The modern oriel window is a very useful tool that we often consider as it gives the client a different place to sit, relax and enjoy the new spaces and garden. If the house has a lower garden level it’s even better. The project has a great kitchen, very much of the moment in terms of colour and materials, the client really committed to the look and aesthetic. Again we left in some structure and wrapped the kitchen around it working WITH the project constraints rather than resisting them. Our view is, you pay a lot for your steelwork… Show it off!

Inspiration for a classic back patio in London with a potted garden, natural stone paving and no cover.

The Umbris patio roof system is highly adaptable to suit your building or your design preferences. Installations can be free standing, post supported, building supported, as well as cantilevered | St Lawrence | UmbrisbyIQ Enhance your outdoor living space.

Design ideas for a small contemporary back patio in London with concrete paving, no cover and fencing.

Ben Robert - Blooming Photography
This is an example of a small contemporary back patio in London with concrete paving, no cover and a fireplace.

This renovation and extension transforms a mid-19th-century Schoolmaster’s House, originally designed by Gothic Revival architect William Butterfield. Built in the 1850s as part of Archdeacon John Sandford’s educational initiative, the building showcases Butterfield’s hallmark use of polychrome brickwork and crafted detail. Research supported by the Alvechurch Historical Society, The Bromsgrove Society, and the Hive Archives – together with the discovery of original drawings – revealed the building’s original fabric and informed our design strategy. The scheme balances historic sensitivity with contemporary living. Unsympathetic late-20th-century alterations were removed to restore clarity, while new interventions create light, proportion, and connection to the garden. The extension draws inspiration from Butterfield’s brick patterns, its distinct yet referential form enhanced by a frameless corner window. At the centre of the design, the former courtyard becomes the heart of the home. Original brickwork and an arched door are revealed, their patina preserved, with natural stone flooring referencing the historic surface. Elsewhere, a historic entrance has been reinstated, and a brick arch within the chimney exposed, now closed with weathered copper. High-performance insulation and triple glazing improve comfort and energy efficiency. The result is both restoration and reinvention – a respectful dialogue between past and present, creating a home rooted in history and ready for the future.

The garden of our Wandsworth Common Family Home was redesigned by The Garden Club, and an outdoor kitchen and pergola were added
Photo of a large scandi back patio in London with an outdoor kitchen, brick paving and a gazebo.

Smooth dove grey sawn sandstone pavers Credit: Annaïck Guitteny Photography
Photo of a back patio in London with natural stone paving.